The Express Tribune Magazine - October 25 by Express Tribune

OCTOBER 25-31 2015

Portfolio

Still standing

Cover Story

Noori haveli is a testament to the aesthetics of the Sikh era in Punjab

From the horse’s mouth Voiceover artists on why a little less conversation isn’t Elvis’ best advice

22 Feature

Ice, ice, G-B

Residents of Bagrote valley patrol the area at night to preempt any glacial lake outburst floods

Feature

Losing a lifeline Without a national emergency number, Pakistanis waste crucial time in figuring out who to call for help in a crisis

29 Regulars

6 People & Parties: Out and about with beautiful people

35 Reviews: TV and Movies 38 Framed: Tranquil Beauty

Magazine Incharge: Dilaira Dubash. Senior Subeditors: Sanam Maher and Ali Haider Habib. Subeditors: Komal Anwar and Aesha Munaf Creative Team: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Mohsin Alam, Talha Ahmed Khan, Hira Fareed, Maryam Rashid, Eesha Azam and Sanober Ahmed Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk 4 Twitter: @ETribuneMag & Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ETribuneMag Printed: uniprint@unigraph.com

PEOPLE & PARTIES Phenomena showcases an evening of handcrafted art pieces in Karachi

PHOTO CREDITS ADNAN

Azra, Uzra, Kaukab and Pomme

Aylena

Zarmina, Sadia, Mahnaz and Munezay

Farah Afzal

6 OCTOBER 25-31 2015

Seemi, Zarin, Amin and Chunna

PEOPLE & PARTIES

PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR & EVENTS

Uzma Babar exhibits her trunk show of the bridal collection in Lahore

Mahnoor and Momina

Shelu

Saima

8 OCTOBER 25-31 2015

Shoaeb and Anny

Nazia Nazir

Zainab Malik and Anum Hammad

PEOPLE & PARTIES Ammara Khan

Shamaeel, Nomi and Nilofer

PHOTOS COURTESY LOTUS PR

Aale Mowjee

L’Oréal Paris reveals skin care products at an exclusive lunch in Lahore

Aamna, Anusha, Shehrbano, Nikhar and Gulrukh

10 OCTOBER 25-31 2015

Cybil and Sunita

Kamiar and Zara

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Sara and Sana Sarfaraz

OPPO launches three flagship phones at Royal Palm in Karachi Arsalan

Kanwal Ilyas with a friend

Shiza Hassan and Sophie Anjum

12 OCTOBER 25-31 2015

Mariam and Amreen

PHOTOS COURTESY LATITUDE PR

Fakhar and Mehreen

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Zehra and Khaled Jamali

Naghmana Hashmi

Neelofar Peerzada and Tapu Javeri

PHOTOS COURTESY TAKEII PR

Pakistan participates as a guest of honour country in Belgium at Ghent trade fair

Masuma Halai Khawaja

Owais Nasim and Sadia

Valeri

Beata Pollock

Stefan Derluyn and Tine Vandervelden

Ann Everaert

13 OCTOBER 25-31 2015

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Asma Saif and Cyra Paracha

Fauzia, Azmay and Dr Sabeen OCTOBER 25-31 2015

Uzma Shah

Nazli Rafat Jamal launches her book in Karachi Mussarat Misbah

Nazli R Jamal and Faiza Sami

PHOTOS COURTESY TAKEII PR

Zarafshah

Shamail, Farahnaz and Ardeshir

PHOTOS COURTESY TAKEII PR

Samia Tariq and Dr Shahnaz Kehar

Zainab Yusaf

Seema and Ghazala Humayun

Azra Zia and Tehmina Khalid

Hina Naush ,Lalay and Farida Mehmood

15 OCTOBER 25-31 2015

PORTFOLIO

STILL STANDING BREATHTAKING EVEN IN ITS DILAPIDATED STATE, NOORI HAVELI IS A TESTAMENT TO THE AESTHETICS OF THE SIKH ERA IN PUNJAB TEXT AND PHOYTOS BY NADEEM DAR DESIGN BY SANOBER AHMED

alking through Chowk Matti, passing the narrow streets of old Lahore, and reaching Mohallah Peer Shirazi, I found a mysterious arch shrouded in pitch darkness in the day. My curiosity piqued, I followed the small track which led me to a truly mesmerising site. For a few seconds, I forgot to blink, in awe of the huge magnificent structure in front of me. I had unknowingly stumbled upon Noori Manzil, a beautiful haveli inside the famous Lohari Gate of old Lahore. Entering the considerably vast roofed courtyard with small steps leading into the haveli, I noticed the splintered roof which still retains its original beauty. The walls were decorated majestically with carved balconies and jharokas, reminiscent of Sikh architecture. The entire building was built in brick, with some parts painted yellow. It seemed to be abandoned. I looked around for someone to give me more information and entered the main area, but there was not a single person in sight. The interior of the haveli was even more magical. It had a small square courtyard with rooms around it, some of which were locked. I was about to venture down a narrow corridor, when I heard someone warning me not to go ahead, saying it was haunted. Startled by the voice, I turned back, watching a dark, middle-aged man approach me. “What are you here for?” the man asked angrily. I figured that my camera and equipment probably upset him. I introduced myself to him, pacifying his reservations, and asked him if I could photograph the beautiful haveli and possibly meet its owner. He was the tenant of the haveli and said the owner was settled abroad. The tenant, Ehsan, knew a lot about the haveli and its surroundings. According to him, it was built in the Sikh era by a dancer and prostitute, ‘Poori Bai,’ and was known as Poori Haveli. It was later renamed Noori Haveli or Noori Manzil. Before the Sikh era, the Red Light area was located inside Lohari Gate, and most of the affluent prostitutes had beautiful havelis there. Chowk Matti was also named after a known prostitute, ‘Matti Bai’. With the passage of time, the Red Light area was shifted to Chowk Jhanda, Tibbi Gali and, eventually, Heera Mandi was established. The two-storey Noori Haveli has 32 rooms. It used to house dancing girls during the Sikh Era. There was even a stable for horses which has now been converted into shops. The rooms of the haveli have been rented out to shoe-makers at present. According to Ehsan, the occupied area of the haveli is 27 marlas. After 1947, the building was allotted to a local family which is still living in one of the sections. I asked Ehsan if I could go to the top floor but he resisted for a while, mentioning the dilapidated state of the building and the risks involved. Eventually, we ascended the dark and narrow staircase despite his warnings about the portion being haunted. He maintained that anyone who tried going up the stairs got hit by an unknown force. A little apprehensive, I reached the first floor. Surviving the unseen force, I walked around what seemed like a doll house in shambles. The floor of the upper gallery was cracked and the railing was dusty. The walls were carved, and brick-work in a paisley design bordered everything. Logical, flowing lines, A view of the courtyard inside the haveli.

The balconies or jharokha, reminiscent of Sikh architecture.

THE TWO-STOREY NOORI HAVELI HAS 32 ROOMS. IT USED TO HOUSE DANCING GIRLS DURING THE SIKH ERA 18

a specialty of Sikh architecture, are used to enhance the aesthetics of the building. The rooms were locked and the elevated gallery running around the courtyard exquisite â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a living testament to the fact that this haveli was once surely a house of dancing girls. While photographing Noori Manzil, I was a little disheartened because of the apparent apathy in preserving it. Many of the historic houses or havelis inside the Walled City of Lahore have been commercialised now. The shoe-makers have already made their way into Noori Manzil, making me fear for its condition. Noori Manzil is a masterpiece of architecture and a beautiful gem hidden inside the Lohari Gate. Its residents are not financially sound enough to restore or maintain it; so, we can only hope it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lost to the rapid commercialisation of old Lahore. Nadeem Dar is a professional heritage photographer.

OCTOBER 25-31 2015

I WAS ABOUT TO VENTURE DOWN A NARROW CORRIDOR, WHEN I HEARD SOMEONE WARNING ME NOT TO GO AHEAD, SAYING IT WAS HAUNTED

The brick-work and flowing lines seen on the walls of the haveli.

The ground floor of the haveli, currently being used by shoe-makers.

From the Horse’s Mouth Voiceover artists on why a little less conversation isn’t Elvis’ best advice

BY ANS KHURRAM DESIGN BY EESA MALIK

atching a voiceover (VO) artist at work is like watching a Native American do a war dance, a microphone in place of a totem pole. The VO artist throws himself all over the mic — fists pumping, limbs flying and eyes wild with expressions. “Eighty percent of communication comes through your body language, which doesn’t translate on air,” explains Awais ‘Wes’ Malik, a veteran who has been associated with the industry for two decades. “So, you exaggerate your body language to exaggerate your voice. While asking a question on air, I’ll even tilt my head and place my chin on my palm, simultaneously acting it out as well.” Malik started out his VO career by imitating RJs and making intros to mix tapes for his cousins. “I found out how to change the startup music on my laptop and recorded ‘Welcome to Windows 98’. People would be wowed by the spoken intro since their laptops didn’t do the same. I would tell them it was probably because their Windows wasn’t genuine,” quips Malik, adding that people couldn’t figure out it was his own voice. Sardar Sohail ‘Xin’ Ahmed Khan, the voice behind Sting’s Energy ka Jhatzzzka campaign, came across this industry by chance. He went to interview for a web designing firm where the interviewer recommended that he work in radio as he had an ideal voice. “I thought this was his way of turning me down for the job, but three months later, I ran into the interviewer again and he hooked me up with an audition at an English FM station that had recently been launched,” he shares. For Mahvesh Murad, the entry into the VO industry was a result of natural progression in her media career. “I worked in TV for a few years and then in radio. Initially, I did whatever voiceover work was given to me on the job.” Mahvesh’s freelance voiceover work picked up pace after she resigned from her full time job at the radio station. RJ Awais ‘Wes’ Malik

PHOTO COURTESY: AWAIS MALIK

"When I realized that VOs could start paying my bills, I began to take them seriously — RJ Awais ‘Wes’

Malik

“A lawn company wanted me to make their VO sound like Cate Blanchett's voice in Lord of the Rings — VO artist Mahvesh Murad

All three VO artists had absolutely no formal training when they started doing voiceovers. “Naturally, my voice is very nasal,” says Wes, “It was only later, that I started training and developing my voice, making it sound deeper.” Mahvesh learnt on the job as well. “I don’t do any exercises. I’ve been doing this so long now, that I’ve worked out my own vocal resonance and range.” Meanwhile, Xin believes in observing and listening to your own self and others. “You need to hear how other people narrate and talk. That way, you pick up new stuff,” he explains.

Scope of the industry The scope of a VO artist is not just limited to recording advertisements. “VO artists do radio shows, audio commercials, audio books, audio dramas; the recent popularity in dubbing Turkish dramas is an example,” explains Xin, who recently voiced Baba Bandook in Season 4 of Burka Avengers. Malik owns his own studio where he has produced audio commercials for clients such as Subway, Shell, and Telenor. “I also voiced an entire character in the movie Jalaibee, right down to screams and grunts,” he grins. Mahvesh, too, has a diverse list of clientele. She has done IVRs (Interactive Voice Response systems) for most of the major banks in Pakistan. “Who knows? By 2017, I may be on every Pakistani bank’s phone tree; it’s a part of my world 24 domination plan,” jests Mahvesh. OCTOBER 25-31 2015

Mahvesh Murad. PHOTO COURTESY: MAHVESH MURAD

All three VO artists insist that it is not as glamorous a career as it may seem. “Most people think a VO career is just a side career,” explain Xin. “Unlike a 9 to 5 job, VO artists work in their own studios. There is a lack of understanding, in terms of value, voice, time, and mileage.” Malik also has a pragmatic approach. “I was having breakfast with producer Sohail Hashmi once and got an offer to do two VOs right there and then, for a significant amount,” he says. “When I realised that VOs could start paying my bills, I began to take them seriously.” Mahvesh elaborates on the working conditions. “Most people I meet seem to think this is easy or glamorous. It’s neither. It’s hard work. You spend hours trapped in a small airless studio, sweating profusely, listening to the demands of strangers,” she says. “Trying to connect with certain emotions that are meant to generate a specific feeling in the audience is a strangely intimate process. It’s very odd to be watched by strangers while you do this. You have to lose certain inhibitions at some point and not be embarrassed about sounding silly.” Clients often have unrealistic expectations of their VO artists as well. “I do two renditions of the VO, the first

Voice over artist Sardar Sohail ‘Xin’ Ahmed Khan PHOTO COURTESY: SOHAIL AHMED KHAN

one is how I think it’s supposed to be done. After that, the feedback is usually, ‘Kindly energy daal dein,’ which results in a second, more energetic version,” explains Malik. Xin attests to this fact, adding that corporations should settle for just one voice that defines them. However, due to lack of maturity, this does not happen very often. “A lawn company wanted me to make their VO sound like Cate Blanchett’s voice in Lord of the Rings,” says Mahvesh. “I tried telling them that this was well below my natural range and perhaps they could do as [Peter] Jackson did, and use some effects, but they insisted it be all me. I’m not sure how I managed that one!”

Video killed the radio star

“Most people think a VO career is just a side career — VO artist Sardar Sohail ‘Xin’ Ahmed Khan

The loose structure of the VO industry is a massive concern. “There is no association of VO artists and hence, no regulations and no set rates for payments,” laments Xin. “The agencies charge clients a lot of money using your name, but the VO artist gets very little of it. If the VO artist demands an increase in the fee, he or she is frozen out of the industry by the agencies.” Xin is baffled by clients willing to pay music producers and vocalists, but not the VO artist. Mahvesh also laments the dearth of professionalism in this industry. “Barely anyone is punctual and hardly anyone pays the artists

COVER STORY

in a timely manner. Even the studios claiming to be professional, with staunch rules about payments, will blatantly break them if they think they can get away with it.” She maintains there only a handful of people who are great to work with. Wes Malik busts a few other myths about VO artists. “People assume I’m available 24/7; clients call me at all kinds of hours or during weekends and expect me to work at odd times. People assume it’s just voice and talking. If that’s the case, about 200 million Pakistanis can speak.” Wes’ production house has set up price lists and rates that they use as a reference base. “The standards are yet to stick, but we are trying,” he adds. Mahvesh also discusses the additional scrutiny she has to 26 face, based on her gender. “I’m sure you didn’t need to ask OCTOBER 25-31 2015

“You have to lose certain inhibitions at some point and not be embarrassed about sounding silly — VO artist Mahvesh Murad

Tricks of the trade Wes Malik: Take precautions to maintain your voice when you get sick. Drink honey mixed in water as it really helps the vocal chords. Try not to do more than two to two-and-a-half hours of continuous work as your voice gets strained. Working as soon as you wake up, without eating or drinking anything, will result in an inconsistent ‘morning voice’. Working if you’re tired also results in your voice sounding exhausted. Practice impersonations in different tones and styles, for example, a VO of Shawshank Redemption or Matthew McConaughey. I also trained for classical singing in 1995 for two years, and the vocal exercises really helped. Xin: You need to take care of your throat quite vigorously. I have to make sure I don’t eat things that I need to chew hard before a VO, and avoid fizzy drinks. My secret weapon is Sharbat Toot Siah. No one does exercises they show in the movies. You need to read a lot, and aloud, to correct your diction. Practice helps control your voice box. Singers can transition into the VO industry because of the control they have over their voice. Mahvesh: To some extent, you have to have a decent voice to start with but even the best voices need control and the ability to express a lot in very few words. Listening carefully to good voiceover artists from around the world will help. You do have to find your own range and resonance though, and adapt those as well as possible to the demands of each individual job. Quit smoking. Stay healthy. Learn to mimic tones because sometimes that is all that's required of you. It’s helpful if you have a flair for dramatics and a good understanding of how the rhythms of language work, especially in recording long-form things like audio stories. And you sure as hell can't be shy!

Wes or Xin this question,” was her first response. It took a moment for the significance of this statement to sink in. “I could tell you about how men love to infantilise female professionals or how many times I’ve received a call late in the evening from a strange man aggressively demanding I show up for a recording at a completely random place, or how many times I’ve been told I shouldn’t worry about my payment because surely my husband takes care of everything, but I think I’ve made my point,” she says. She also finds it ironic that often, the marketing team for a women’s product is filled with men. Mahvesh advises upcoming RJs to never compromise on their personal time, space and professionalism. She adds that they should always have a backup plan. Malik insists that newcomers contact professionals for advice and not be afraid to ask for help. Xin’s advice to upcoming VO artists is quite straightforward: “Don’t join the profession. You’ll just increase the competition”. He, however, quickly adds that he’s only joking. “Be yourself, don’t try to mimic anyone.”

Ans Khurram is a freelance writer. OCTOBER 25-31 2015

Losing a lifel ne Without a national emergency number, Pakistanis waste crucial time in figuring out who to call for help in a crisis

BY JAHANZEB EFFENDI | DESIGN BY MARYAM RASHID

The lack of a national emergency telephone number in Pakistan has led to confusion and mismanagement during emergencies and major disasters, both natural and man-made. Whether there is a medical emergency in Karachi, or a terrorist attack in Peshawar, a majority of the citizens of Pakistan is confused as to which rescue or law enforcement agency to approach for help. In many developed countries, a universal emergency number is the first number that a child learns to dial on a phone. Whether it is 911 in North America or 999 in the United Kingdom, these emergency numbers are the backbone of response to an emergency in developed countries. In North America, the first 911 call was made in 1968 in the state of Alabama. The American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) played an instrumental role in establishing 911 as a universal emergency number in the US contrary to popular belief, there is no â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;national 911 call centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the US. Instead, the system is operated locally by large towns and cities but mainly by counties. In more than one of these call centres, telecommunication companies have a joint venture with local governments.

29 OCTOBER 25-31 2015

Here’s how it works:

1 2 3 4

A caller dials 911, and the call is routed to the closest Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) via the telecommunication network that it is dialed from. At the PSAP, a trained emergency dispatch operator answers the call for the police, fire fighting and ambulance service. The operator follows a checklist of questions: who, what, when, where, why and weapon (known as the 6 Ws). Judging the nature of the emergency, the operator contacts the relevant emergency services and passes on the address and location details. The operator remains on the line with the caller, often directing them on how to handle the situation till help arrives. For instance, in one reported case, a man called 911 after choking on a piece of chicken at home. The operator directed the man to ‘fall on a chair,’ which is a modified Heimlich’s Maneuver. In another incident, two children were able to stop four intruders from entering their house after they called 911 and followed the directions of the operator and put their house on lock-down.

Important numbers to know: Ambulance services:

115

KARACHI LAHORE, ISLAMABAD

115 & 1122

Fire brigade:

KARACHI LAHORE, ISLAMABAD

Police: 15 30 OCTOBER 25-31 2015

16 & 1122

The need of the hour Dr Saeed Minhas from the Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery Department at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center has years of experience dealing with medical emergencies and disasters in Pakistan. According to him, “A universal emergency helpline is the need of the hour especially in Karachi. During emergencies and disasters, there seems to be confusion as to who to call for help.” He adds, “It is important to have a GPS facility to locate victims immediately as well.” During the June 2015 heatwave, Dr Minhas points out, all major hospitals were nearly full to capacity and several lives were reportedly lost as victims wasted precious time searching for a vacant bed in any hospital. If a universal helpline was available, people could have been given information on heatstroke centres in Karachi, Dr Minhas feels. Dr Ubaid Ahmed, who handles cerebrovascular emergencies at Liaqat National Hospital, describes three types of patients: some patients suffer from a cerebrovascular accident, and immediately recognise the urgency of receiving medical care and have transportation available so they can rush to the hospital; others are unable to recognise or understand the symptoms they are experiencing and will first approach general practitioners before they are rushed to a hospital, and finally, some patients have no access to a doctor or emergency helpline and wait for ambulances to transport them to the hospital. “This last group has the poorest outcome on morbidity and mortality,” explains Dr Ahmed. He states that an emergency helpline would help these patients immeasurably as emergency operators can also help friends or family members identify symptoms in cases of heart attacks or strokes. “More importantly, helpline operators can direct the ambulances to take patients to the advanced tertiary care facilities handling these emergencies directly.”

Command and control The emergency response system in Pakistan is completely chaotic. During a major disaster, such as a bomb blast, electronic media is often the first source of information for rescue authorities, emergency doctors and surgical teams in major public hospitals. The disaster site, once located, is approached by different ambulance networks besides the police, electronic media vans and curious bystanders. Since there is no coordination, ambulances end up clogging the entry and exit areas to the site. Often, survivors are involved in salvaging bodies and ferrying casualties to the nearest hospitals in auto-rickshaws, private vehicles and pickup trucks. With no focal command and control centre, this mass rescue effort is often counterproductive. Additionally, while there is a plethora of charity run ambulance services in Karachi, most are ill-equipped and driven by staff who have no formal paramedic training. At sites of road traffic accidents and disasters, they perform a version of the ‘scoop and run’ method of transporting casualties to the hospitals, which often results in more injuries to the patient. Often, there are scuffles at the site of disasters, as officials argue about which ambulance service should take the casualty to the hospital. Furthermore, with no central command centre channeling the wounded to the relevant hospitals, ambulances rush to the closest hospital, regardless of the priority of the victim’s wounds. Often, all critical victims are sent to one trauma centre, overwhelming staff. For instance, when a mosque in Peshawar was bombed on February 13, 2015, 44 injured victims, and 20 deceased victims were rushed to the Hayatabad Medical Complex; however, the hospital’s small emergency is not built to handle such an influx, resulting in a disaster at the hospital itself. Without a command centre, emergency services officials are unable to do their jobs effectively. Arshad, an ex-fire fighter, recalls an instance when a distress call was received from M A Jinnah Road, Karachi about miscreants setting fire to a popular cinema house. “We rushed to the site within minutes but we did not realise that we would come face-to-face with armed rioters.”

Receive and recognise an emergency call from any phone, including a pay phone

What is an emergency system Any emergency system is based on 3 principles

Route this call to the closest answering point, based on the location of the call Activate the appropriate emergency service, such as fire fighters, police or emergency medical services (EMS)

1 2 3

The firemen had to run for their lives as protestors pelted their trucks with stones. “We kept calling the police or Rangers for help, but no one came. We were unable to send more fire trucks to the site and watched helplessly as the building burned to ashes.” Zahid, an ambulance driver who takes emergency calls from Lyari, Karachi, recalls an incident when he rushed to pick up a man wounded during gang fights in the neighbourhood. “I had barely parked the ambulance and was removing the stretcher when I heard gun shots. A group of men fired at me to stop me from taking the victim to the hospital.” While rescue efforts in Punjab by Rescue 1122 are commendable and the number has been publicised very effectively, a link between three major agencies — the police, fire brigade and ambulance services — is the foundation for a better emergency response system. Dr Jahanzeb Effendi is a medical doctor, first responder and co-founder of the First Response Initiative of Pakistan (FRIP).

31 OCTOBER 25-31 2015

FEATURE

Ice, ce,

G-B

Residents of Bagrote valley patrol the area at night to preempt any glacial lake outburst floods BY SHABBIR MIR DESIGN BY HIRA FAREED

In the early 1900s, residents of GilgitBaltistan’s (G-B) Bagrote valley, around 40 kilometres from Gilgit city, patrolled their territory to guard it against Gohar Aman’s onslaughts. Aman was a ruthless ruler of what is now Ghizer district in G-B and a fierce opponent of Bagrote’s residents. Stories of Aman’s atrocities still find their way in everyday conversations.

322 OCTOBER 25-31 2015

Today, more than a century later, Bagrote’s people continue to patrol the area. Their adversary, though, is no longer a man. It is Mother Nature’s fury, triggered by climate change. Surrounded by 13 glaciers, the valley is inhabited by nearly 16,000 people. These residents live under a constant threat of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF), a natural phenomenon that has resulted in substantial losses in various parts of the world over the years. This year alone, four GLOFs instigated flash floods which swept away eight bridges, a hydel power project, dozens of water channels, standing crops and roads in Bagrote valley. Agriculture accounts for 15% of G-B’s production and such climatic catastrophes put a serious dent in the area’s economy. “We are at risk of flash floods and the situation aggravates from June to October,” says Adil Shah, a local farmer. “There were so many flash floods this year. We were able to save our lives only because we were vigilant and adopted precautionary measures,” he adds, referring to the village hazard watch group (VHWG)

formed by the Pakistan GLOF Project. The GLOF Project is working with GLOF-prone mountain communities in northern Pakistan to reduce risks from GLOFs and flash floods caused by melting snow. At least 10 VHWGs were formed under the project, one in each village. The VHWG was equipped with the necessary equipment to alert locals in case of flash floods. Each group consists of around six men, most of them shepherds who spend their time on mountain peaks with their herds of livestock. They are provided cellphones and trained to use the devices, enabling them to communicate any possible threat to others. “Though no loss of life occurred, the loss of property was immense. People have lost their livelihood,” laments Shah. “The role of VHWGs was critical. We are thankful to GLOF Project for that,” adds the farmer, who lost his brother to a flashflood in the valley two decades ago. Another local farmer, Imtiaz Ali, says the village has been without electricity for the past month after a hydel power project was swept away in a flood.

333 OCTOBER 25-31 2015

FEATURE

Climate change

The change in weather patterns has had a profound effect on farmers. “Till two decades ago, the ploughing season would start on March 21. It now begins in February,” shares Ali. “The date has now just become a ceremonial activity to reminisce.” Dr Babar Khan of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says snow which usually fell on mountain peaks in November and December now comes a month or so later. “This delay means there is less time before the snow ultimately melts and triggers floods when the weather gets warmer around April.”

Averting disasters

Pakistan GLOF Project has taken a number of precautionary measures to avert catastrophes in Bagrote valley. Special embankments called ‘gabion walls’ were constructed at six places along the ravines to neutralise the flow of water which has previously swept away homes and wreaked havoc. “The technique proved instrumental in saving the population from disaster as at least four GLOFs occurred this year,” says Zahid Shah of GLOF Project, under which locals removed debris from four ravines with the help of excavators to help flood water pass uninterrupted. 344 “Previously, nullahs were OCTOBER 25-31 2015

filled with boulders which obstructed the flow of water and changed its course towards villages.” In the same vein, a ‘safe haven’ has been prepared for villagers in case of any impending doom. The facility is equipped with necessary items including medicines, tents, edibles and toilets. A group of at least 33 men and women have also been trained in risk reduction techniques. Moreover, an endowment fund of Rs2,200,000 has been created to help communities prevent disasters or mitigate losses. Local communities contributed Rs200,000 to this fund. In addition to these measures, the meteorological department has set up two weather stations at an altitude of 4,100 metres to collect data from satellites. “According to the data compiled in 2013, there are 36 lakes close to glaciers. And if these lakes overflow and trigger floods, they are bound to wreck havoc with the population downstream,” warns Shah. “The entire region is mountainous like Bagrote, posing a continuous risk of flash floods,” he says. “The only way out of this is to replicate the programme in other areas as well.”

Shabbir Mir is a Gilgit-based reporter for The Express Tribune. He tweets @ShabbirMir

‘‘

There were so many flash floods this year. We were able to save our lives only because we were vigilant and adopted precautionary measures A local farmer Adil Shah

A glamorous thriller Quantico is an overstuffed TV show, mostly getting publicity because of Bollywood diva Priyanka Chopra BY NUDRAT KAMAL

Before it aired, the only thing that set Quantico — a mystery-thriller about a bunch of FBI recruits — apart from all the other new TV shows this season was the presence of Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra. The publicity for the show made it seem like a mixture of interpersonal drama Grey’s Anatomy and the crazy high jinks of the Shonda Rhimes-backed show How to Get Away with Murder. In other words, the show seemed the epitome of “been there, seen that” but of course that was overshadowed by the excitement of seeing one of our own up there, starring with goras. After watching the first three episodes, however, it is pretty clear that Chopra is by far the best thing about the show, which is both a compliment to her as well as a significant weakness of the show itself. Quantico revolves around a new class of trainees who have just been recruited into the FBI academy at Quantico. There is Alex Parrish (Priyanka Chopra), the steely and determined character at the centre of the plot, and joining her are scruffy military vet Jake McLaughlin (Ryan Booth), rich Southern debutante Johanna Braddy (Shelby Wyatt) and the mysterious and aloof devout Muslim Yasmine Elmasri (Nimah Anwar), among others. The show’s narrative runs on two timelines — in the present day, a terrorist

attack on New York’s Grand Central Terminal has just occurred, with Parrish as the prime suspect, and in order to solve the mystery of who among the FBI recruits was involved in the attack, there are flashbacks to Parrish and her colleagues’ first year at Quantico. With so much going on, Quantico is nothing if not fast-paced and action-packed. There are plot twists and revelations galore, and even though a lot of it feels a little too paint-by-the-numbers (as backstory, Parrish’s abusive father is revealed to also have been an FBI agent), it’s still entertaining to watch. Furthermore, Chopra’s character is pretty badass — she is confident, smart, open about her sexuality and comfortable with who she is — and is therefore very easy to root for. There is potential for other characters to also embody cultural stereotypes and then dismantle them from inside. I am thinking specifically of Anwar, who is one of the few devout Muslims on American television today. Couple that with the fact that Chopra is shown as an Indian American which gives the show additional points for diverse representation. However, Quantico has considerable flaws. The show struggles to juggle with multiple storylines at once — there are so many revelations and plot twists that all of them quickly lose their impact and begin to feel

inconsequential. Also, the show’s premise is predicated on the idea that all the recruits are keeping secrets from each other and from the FBI. Aside from this making, the FBI seems really silly (How did any of these people get in the academy in the first place, given the rigorous recruitment process?) This idea will only work if the audience has a sense of these characters’ motivations. If the audience doesn’t know the characters, it is hard to invest in figuring out why they might be hiding things from each other. Three episodes in, only Chopra’s character is fully fleshed out, and although she does a great job, she cannot be expected to carry the whole show, especially one with so many other players. Quantico isn’t aiming to be a hardhitting, nuanced treatise on terrorism in the contemporary landscape. Rather, it is meant to be, foremost, entertaining and exciting. Unfortunately, at this point, it isn’t managing to achieve that aim either. It has the potential, but it needs to streamline its multitude of storylines and put in some real character work for the audience to remain engaged. Rating: Nudrat Kamal is a Fullbright Scholar studying Comparative Literature at Stony Brook University. She tweets @NudratKamal OCTOBER 25-31 2015

FILM

PLAYING IT SAFE Despite stellar performances, Scott Cooper’s Black Mass falls just short of its potential BY DANYAL ADAM KHAN

When you hear of a film based on one of the most notorious American mobsters — James “Whitey” Bulger — including an ensemble cast of Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton and Benedict Cumberbatch to name a few, you expect a film that may make its place in the echelon of greats such as Goodfellas or Casino. However, Scott Cooper’s latest directorial venture, Black Mass, largely fails to deliver on the ambitious promises it makes. The story is about the Winter Hill Gang of Boston which operated at its peak during the 80s and controlled most organised crime in the city. Depp portrays the infamous boss Whitey Bulger — paranoid racketeer, unflinching murderer and dedicated family man — in one of his most convincing performances of recent times, with Dakota Johnson as his wife Lindsey. Cumberbatch, meanwhile, plays Whitey’s elder brother and state senator, William Bulger, in a forgettable supporting role. The narrative opens in the present day with former Winter Hill gang members being interviewed in custody about their operations. In 1975, Whitey finds his hold over criminal activities in the city threatened by the growing power of the Angiulo family, who kill off a member of his gang. He is approached by John Connolly (Edgerton), a Boston native and official of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Connolly, being a childhood acquaintance of the Bulgers, manages to convince Whitey to make an ‘alliance’ with the FBI against the 36 Angiulos. In return, Bulger is to enjoy the protection offered by OCTOBER 25-31 2015

Connolly through the FBI and continue his activities unchecked. What starts off as a mutually beneficial deal for both parties, however, begins to spiral out of control when Whitey’s relentless ambitions become too hard for Connolly to keep covering up. Increasing pressure from within the FBI, a string of murders from Boston to Miami and Whitey’s inability to deliver high-profile targets results in an unravelling of deals and allegiances. Alongside the inevitable crime and violence, Black Mass also has strong themes of community, loyalty and home, with some of the most powerful family moments surfacing at the death of Whitey’s mother and the illness of his son, or through the strain on Connolly’s marriage due to his involvement with the mob.